1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Wedding Band. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?” The play takes place in South Carolina during 1918 in a city by the sea. In the beginning of the play, the primarily take place in the backyard of a black community. The characters in the play are Julia, Mattie, Lula, and Fanny. In the play, Mattie reprimand her daughter Teeta for losing a quarter.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students. The intrusion takes place when Herman gets sick with influenza because in that time period interracial marriage was illegal, so Herman was forced not to get immediate help when the illness hit him.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? The unique factor is that this was around the time Julia began to move up north into a new community.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.) Will Herman survive through the illness?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play. Julia was primarily affected with nature vs society because the illness that attacked Herman in the play.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band. The theatrical moments in Wedding Band was when Julia and Herman's mom began arguing and fighting one another.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”) The quarter provided the audience with an idea of how poor the cast were in the play. The backyard provided an image of the importance of tight bonds and relationships. Last, the wedding band symbolize the love Herman and Julia have for one another.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band. Race Poverty Love
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think? Although the two aren't legally married, you can tell the love that Julia and Herman have for each other. You can tell this especially when Herman became ill and Julia was seeking immediate for him even though she knew that interracial marriage was illegal.
The play takes place in South Carolina during 1918 in a city by the sea. In the beginning of the play, the primarily take place in the backyard of a black community. The characters in the play are Julia, Mattie, Lula, and Fanny. In the play, Mattie reprimand her daughter Teeta for losing a quarter.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students.
The intrusion takes place when Herman gets sick with influenza because in that time period interracial marriage was illegal, so Herman was forced not to get immediate help when the illness hit him.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The unique factor is that this was around the time Julia began to move up north into a new community.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will Herman survive through the illness?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play.
Julia was primarily affected with nature vs society because the illness that attacked Herman in the play.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band.
The theatrical moments in Wedding Band was when Julia and Herman's mom began arguing and fighting one another.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The quarter provided the audience with an idea of how poor the cast were in the play. The backyard provided an image of the importance of tight bonds and relationships. Last, the wedding band symbolize the love Herman and Julia have for one another.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band.
Race
Poverty
Love
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think?
Although the two aren't legally married, you can tell the love that Julia and Herman have for each other. You can tell this especially when Herman became ill and Julia was seeking immediate for him even though she knew that interracial marriage was illegal.